Pattern means for knitting machines



July i3, 943. A. L.. HUTTON, JR., ET AL.

PATTERN MEANS FOR KNITTING MACHINES Maa/Q6. im'

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PATTERN MEANS FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filedvmqy 1e, 1941 7 sheets-shew 3 July 13, 1%3'43.Y l A. HUTTON,.JR., ET A1. 2,323,998`

PATTERN MEANS FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed May 16, 1941 7 Sheets-Sheet 4 WFH/rafa' July 13, 1943. A. l.. HUTTON, JR., Erm.

PATTERN MEANS FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed May 1e, 194i 7 sheets-sheet 5 July 13, 1943. A. L. HUTTON,IJR., .ET A1. 2,323,998

PATTERN MEANS FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed May 16, 1941 '7 Sheets-Sheet 6 EcEA/STPER PATTERN MEANS FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed May 16, 1941 7 Sheets-Sheet 7 Fla/3.

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Patented July 13, 1943 PATTERN MEAN S FOR KNITTING MACHINES Alfred L. Hutton. Jr., Lonsdale, and Isaac H. C. Green and Eugene St. Pierre, Pawtucket. R. I., assignors to Hemphill Company, Central Falls, R. I.. a corporation of Massachusetts Application May 16, 1941, Serial No. 393,694

9 Claims.

This case involves an invention in knitting machines of the circular independent needle type, more specifically, a mechanism for controlling pattern work in such machines as in tucking and .horizontal striping. A dual purpose pattern means functions to pattern appropriate parts of a stocking or other fabric and in the following disclosure one specific embodiment of the invention is described with reference to the accompanying figures of drawings:

In the figures of drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of part of a machine to which the invention has been applied;

Fig. 2 is a similar elevation showing the drum and adjacent mechanism to a larger scale than Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a section showing the dual control drum, levers moved thereby and the positioning means for said levers;

Fig. 4 is a section taken through the drum itself;

Fig. 5 is a View similar to Fig. 3 but showing parts in a different position;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary View of part of the drum and ratcheting means for moving the same;

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 6 but showing ratcheting pawls in an inoperative position;

Fig. 8 is a detail of a small fragment of the ratchet wheel showing the particular construction of teeth for retiming;

Fig. 9 is an elevational view from the side of the machine showing cams and part of the actuating means for moving the dual drum;

Fig. 10 shows the mechanism of Fig. 9 as seen from the back of the machine;

Fig. 1l is a section through the cylinder of the machine showing stitch cam and jack controlling mechanism;

Fig. 12 is an elevation of part of the back of the machine in which horizontal striping control means is illustrated, also certain of the control means for regulating movements of the drum;

Fig. 13 is a diagrammatic view in which cams, needle butt pathways and jack butt pathways are shown;

Fig. 14 is a sectional view of a detail of part of the operating linkage.

In some types of hosiery, especially childrens wear, horizontal striping and tuck switch ornamentation are frequently employed. By an ingenious arrangement of parts and dual control, both of these functions are to be regulated by a single, central pattern means throughout the various parts of a stocking. In the top one striping and tuck pattern is sometimes employed while in the leg and foot of the stocking another or different pattern may appear so that it is desirable to change from one of these patterns to the other automatically, that being something accomplished by the instant invention with a minimum of control mechanism and by a unitary device.

Heretofore these functions have been controlled by separate mechanism, for example, a chain control for the horizontal striper and drum or other control for the tucking. Naturally that involved considerable expense and complicated the machine, especially at or adjacent the upper part of the machine where the tuck control means has occupied space badly needed for other purposes. The dual control herein described is, generally speaking, simpler in that it occupies much less space than a chain control for a striper if that chain control were to have similar pattern scope, also this dual control is located low at the side of the frame and occupies space not particularly useful for any other purpose.

Referring to the gures of drawings, more specifically Fig. l, the usual hosiery machine has a frame I, needle cylinder 2 and so-called circular base 3. The type of machine illustrated is a circular, independent needle hosiery frame of Banner type, but it is to be understood that the invention applies to any hosiery machine or other knitting machine of similar construction. Latch needles are preferably employed and control of that type of needle to produce tuck stitches, either pile or float tuck, is well-known. If desired, spring beard needles may be used and the appropriate movements imparted to them for producing similar tuck stitches.

A main cam drum 4 rotates on cam shaft 5, one complete turn of the drum being made in the knitting of one stocking as is the common practice. On cam plate 6 is mounted the main cam block l having the usual front stitch cam 8, rear stitch cam 9draw cam I0 and center cam Il, Figs. 11 aid 13. Other cams shown in that figure will be described later relative to a discussion of the operation of the machine. The front stitch cam 8 is slidably mounted in the cam block l and may be moved in to and away from the cylinder to engage or fail to engage needle butts. The usual arrangement of needle butts is employed, that is, instep needles are provided with long butts and heel and toe needles with short butts. For controlling tucking, movement of this front stitch cam is automatically provided by the drum control hereinafter to be described.

Of course, movement of the cam out of engagement with needle butts prevents needles being raised to a clearing height except by jack or other control which will be described with reference to Fig. 13.

Now referring to Figs. l, 2, 3, 4 and 5, the drum I2 is mounted for rotation on a short shaft I3 which is xed in a bracket I4 extending downwardly from the frame I. This drum I2 has attached thereto a ratchet wheel I5 which is also free to turn on the shaft I3 and, as will be described in detail, whenever ratchet Wheel I5 is periodically moved, the drum will be advanced so that rows of studs or cam projections I6 will be caused to engage certain levers thereby to control the pattern functions involved. A friction or drag is employed to prevent overtravel or accidental movement of the drum and has three arms I1 in which spring loaded friction plungers I 8 are carried, the said friction plungers bearing against a machined surface on the drum web with suicient force to accomplish the desired purpose. The said friction means is screwed into the outer end of shaft I3 and is, to all intents and purposes, fast to and a part of that shaft.

The drum has five rows of drilled and tapped holes in which studs I6 are threaded, the movement and arrangement of such studs being dependent upon the pattern which it is desired to produce.

A bell crank lever having a more or less vertically disposed arm I9 and horizontally disposed arm is freely pivoted to swing about the center of shaft I3 and carries on a shoulder screw 2| two pawls, an inner pawl 22 and an outer pawl 23. Springs 24 are attached at an extended-end of the said pawls to maintain their tooth engaging ends in an operative position. The horizontal arm 20 connects to a link 25 which projects upwardly and connects at 26 t0 the outer end of a triangular shaped lever 21 pivoted to the side of the machine frame at 28. This lever has a hardened cam follower 29 engageable with cams 30 and 3| which are attached to the hub 32 of the |04 tooth gear 33. That gear is rotated one revolution for every four revolutions of the needle cylinder and thus the two cams impart a ratcheting movement to the drum every second revolution of the cylinder providing the pawls are in engagement with teeth of ratchet; Wheel I5. Obviously, a single cam or as many cams as desired may be used so that movements of the drum may be realized every revolution of the cylinder or at other intervals. A tension spring 34 tends to maintain the follower 29 in engagement with cams 30 or 3I or, in other words, pulls the link upwardly except as action of the cams pushes it downwardly to impart a swinging movement to the lever I9 for the purpose intended.

The actual swinging movement as controlled by cams 3D, 3| and the return movement under the influence of spring 34 would actually move the pawls throughout an arc sufficient to engage two teeth and thus advance the drum an angular distance of two teeth of the ratchet wheel at each movement. A hook 35 engages an adjustable stop 36 on the link 25 and prevents a return movement of greater extent than required to engage one tooth. In other words, after follower 29 drops from cam 30 or 3|, spring 34 would tend to draw the pawl mechanism back to engage two teeth, but hook 35 when in engagement with stop 36 limits that movement to a single tooth. That is, the drum I2 is actually ratcheted a single tooth at every two revolutions of the needle cylinder according t0 'the specific example herein being used for illustration except at such times as hook 3-5 is disengaged from the stop. The outermost row of studs I6 are engageable with a follower 31 at the opposite end of the lever 38 pivoted at 39, the same being a two arm lever of which hook 35 forms an integral part. A spring 40 normally keeps follower 31 against drum I2 and hook 35 in a position to engage stop 36 as illustrated in Fig. l. Whenever double moves are desired, one of the studs I6 will engage follower 31 moving hook 35 to a position in which .it does not contact stop 36.

At certain times ratcheting of the drum is to be stopped entirely and at other times, it is desirable to retime the drum preparatory to starting up in another stocking or in another phase of the pattern. A second bell crank lever having a horizontally disposed arm 4I is also freely pivotable about the center of shaft I3 and a second arm extends downwardly to terminate in a sort of cam edge 42. That cam edge has two more or less flat portions, the flrst being adapted to contact a pin 43 on the pawl 22 and lift it away from the ratchet wheel teeth as shown in Fig. 6. That position is for purposes of retiming. The ratchet will be advanced by pawl 23 until a point is reached at which one tooth is skipped as at 44, Fig. 8. Then pawl 23 will work in the opening at which that tooth is missing until such time as pawl 22 is released to drop into engagement with teeth at the other side of the wheel or adjacent the opening 44.

Whenever it is desired to discontinue movement of the pawl entirely, the cam surface 42 is moved to the position of Fig. 7 whereupon pawl 22 is moved still farther away from the ratchet wheel and picks up a second pin 45 similar to 43, but projecting from the pawl 23. By means of that the second pawl will be moved out of engagement with any of the ratchet wheel teeth.

The horizontally disposed arm 4I connects to a link 46, Figs. l, 2 and l2. That link connects at 41 to one end of lever 48 pivoted at 49 and having a toe 5U engageable with certain cams on cam drum 5I. Those cams are disposed according to the pattern to be made and are of two different heights so that when the toe 50 is on the highest cam as it is in Fig. 1, the cam surface 42 will have no eiect on either pawl and both will ratchet the drum. According to the disposal of studs I6 in the outermost row of the pattern drum, ratcheting movements may extend for either single teeth or double teeth. When toe 50 is on the lower cam, pawl 23 only will be in engagement with ratchet wheel teeth as in Fig. 6. When toe 50 is dropped to the surface of the drum, both pawls will be lifted away from the ratchet wheel, see Fig. '1. Referring to Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 5, a lever 52 is pivoted on a stud 53 and has a follower 54 engageable with a row of studs IB on drum I2. A second lever 55 is pivoted at 56 and has a slotted end engageable with a pin l51 projecting from the end of lever 52. At the otther end of lever 55 is connected an upwardly extending link 58 which controls the active and inactive positions of the front stitch cam 8.

Referring to Figs. l and ll, a rod or shaft 59 .projects through post 60 and has at the end adjacent the front side of the machine an upwardly extending arm 6I with an angularly bent extension 62, said extension having a slot engageable with a projection 63 from the end of the stem which carries and moves cam 8. As the rod 59 vother end of rod 59 is xed a short lever 64 which connects to link 65 in turn engageable at its other end with one arm of a bell crank lever 68. The upwardly extending link 58 connects to the other end of that lever 68.

Whenever the toe 54 engages and rides up on a stud I6, the levers 52, 55, 66, 84 and 6I will be so moved as to withdraw front stitch cam 8 so that needles will not be raised by that cam to clear their latches. Thus tucking will be controlled by jack selection hereinafter to be described. The control from drum I2 just described is what may be termed a course by course control, and depending upon the number of cams 30 and 3|, there will be a course by course tuck pattern produced so long as front stitch cam 8 is governed by the pattern projections on drum |2 and the jacks or other selecting means for det-'ermining said tuck pattern are in operation.

Referring to Fig. 13, needles have jacks 61 beneath them, said jacks having master butts 88, a plurality of removable selective butts 69 and a butt 10 on so-called short butt jacks and a butt 'H on so-called long butt jacks. Alternate needles have a long butt jack under them while intermediate needles have a short butt jack under them. A cam 12 is adapted to engage long butt jacks and thus will raise every other jack and its needle when in position. This cam is a clearing cam and will raise alternate jacks or any other set-up of long butt jacks to the clusion of others so that tucking will be accomplished on needles not so raised so long as cam 8 is withdrawn. In other words, cam 12 will raise long butt jacks and their needles so that latches of those needles will be cleared. Other jacks and needles will not be raised, but with the particular cam arrangement shown, will take yarn and draw stitches accumulating that yarn until cleared by front stitch cam 8 as governed by pattern drum |2.

This cam 12, Figs. l and 11, is fixed at the inner end of a lever 13 pivoted at 14 and controlled to move the cam as desired by moans of a connecting link 15, bell crank lever 16, link 11, Fig. l, and a lever 18. This last mentioned lever pivots at 19 on a bracket 80 and has a toe 8| engageable with certain cams on drum 5| of an extent such that the cam 12 will be moved in to engage jack butts when tucking is being done, but will be withdrawn at other times. A spring 82 tends to keep the toe of the lever down on the drum or cams thereon. Spring 83 likewise draws the link 58 upwardly to maintain front stitch cam 8 inwardly or, in other words, to keep the toe 54 of lever 52 down on drum I2 except as raised by pattern studs I6. At certain times it is desired to prevent withdrawal of the stitch cam 8 even though drum I2 is being ratcheted. For example, in the toe, the drum may be retimed but naturally the front stitch cam should remain in active position. To accomplish this a stop sector 84 which forms one arm of a bell crank lever pivoted at 85 and having a second arm 81 may be swung from the position of Fig. l in which it is not active to a position for engaging beneath the stop collar 81 or a pin extending from it. Collar 81 is adjustable so that when engaged by sector 84, the rod or link 58 will be held in uppermost position. In that position the front stitch cam 8 can not be withdrawn even though the pattern drum is ratcheted and would normally tend to withdraw that cam. The arm 86 of the bell crank lever just mentioned is connected by a link 88 to the lever 48 and whenever that lever drops from cams on drum 5| to the surface of the drum itself, sector 84 will engage the stop collar 81.

As shown in greater detail in Fig. 14, the lower end of link 58 is slidable within a ferrule 89. A collar 90 on the ferrule attaches by a spring 9| to the collar 81. Then when the stop sector 84 engages beneath collar 81 to hold link 58 in uppermost position, the levers 52 and 55 may still be actuated by studs I6 merely extending spring 9|, the end of link 58 sliding in the ferrule 89. An adjustable collar 92 limits the movement of the rod or link 58 into the ferrule. The link 11 has at its lower end a similar sliding connection.

Now referring to Figs. l, 2, 3, 5 and l2, a second lever 93 similar to the lever 52 is movable on the stud 53, but is attached to a collar or spacer'94 slidable along that stud. This lever likewise has a toe 95 and a pin 96 to engage within a slot in the end of a lever 91 which is in turn very much like the lever 55. This system of levers controls the horizontal striping mechanism through a link 98 attached at the other end of lever 91 and connected to the usual sector 89 which carries a bluffer for the pawl |05, Figs. l and l2.

The horizontal striping device itself is of conventional Banner construction. Describing the same briefly it consists of a shaft |00 having rotatable therewith a drum |0| provided with several rows of cams the number of which depends upon the number of yarn feeding levers to be controlled during striping. Five such rows of cams are shown here, but that is only by way of illustration. The shaft |00 turns in bearings |02 and |03 in a bracket |04 and is ratcheted by means of a pawl |05 engageable with teeth in a ratchet wheel |06. The pawl |05 is spring pressed against the teeth of the wheel and is periodically moved to impart its ratcheting motion as a lever |05' is swung to and fro by certain appropriate cams (not shown) on |04 tooth gear 33.

The sector 98 is freely pivotable on shaft |08 and it is really an extension or buffer plate |01 which engages beneath the pawl |05 at certain times to prevent ratcheting of the striper drum. The link 98 connecting to the sector 99 moves the same or swings it about shaft |00 as studs I6 engage beneath the toe 95 C'f lever 93. When the lever is moved upwardly by one of these studs, the sector is moved to that position illustrated in Fig. 1 in which pawl |05 is rendered active. When resting on the drum l2, the opposite condition prevails and plate |01 will 4move beneath the pawl |05 and prevent ratcheting movement.

A brake shoe |08 at the end of arm |09 bears against the side of ratchet wheel |00 under pressure exerted by a spring I0. This prevents overtravel or accidental movement of the striper drum.

At times the striper mechanism is to be retimed and then, the lever functions under the influence of certain cams (not shown) on the drum 5|. The latch member ||2 is spring pressed by spring ||3 so that a notch I I4 therein will engage a projecting pin ||5 in the arm ||6 extending from sector 99. By means of this the sector and buffer plate are held in such a position that pawl |05 will rack the drum until arm |1 rotates around for a little more than 180 degrees from its position in Fig. 1 at which time the beveled edge of that arm will strike against a corresponding edge in front of notch 4 and release the pin I |5. Then the sector and bluffer plate will move under the pawl until the pattern is started again. The retiming of the striper is not new in this case and will not be described in greater detail.

Now referring to Figs. 3 and 5, the levers 52 and 93 are movable to engage different rows of pattern projections. The first row, that is, the outside row on drum I 2, is for the purpose of controlling double moves. The lever 38 working on that row is not varied. The next two rows moving inwardly toward the frame are for the purpose of controlling tucking. The second row controls throughout the knitting of a rst pattern as in a stocking top while the third row is brought into play after pattern is changed as in the leg and foot of a stocking. The two innermost rows govern horizontal striping, and likewise, the rst of those or the fourth row on the drum controls striping in the top or first part of the pattern while the 5th row functions at change of pattern as in the leg. The construction is such that the second and fourth rows are used together and the third and fth rows are used together.

Lever 93, as before stated, is attached to collar 94 and that collar is engaged by a downwardly projecting pin H8, Figs. l, 2, 3 and 5, that pin being xed at one end of a lever ||9 pivoted at |20. The other end of that lever is formed with a toe or cam follower |2| which is engaged by a cam |22 at the inner side of a plate or thin pattern drum |23. Normally a spring |24 adjusted as to tension by collar |25 pushes inwardly on a sliding collar or spacer |26 to urge lever 52, collar 94 and attached lever 93 to the position of Fig. 3. In that position the levers are actuated by the third and fifth rows of pattern studs. Now when cam |22 contacts the end of lever H9, a movement is imparted to the mechanism moving it to the position of Fig. 5 against the tension of spring |24 in which position pattern rows 2 and 4 become active. The pins 51 and 96 are long enough and slide in the slots at the ends of the levers 55 and 91 so that no matter what the position of the rst lmentioned lever, the interconnection will always be effective. The mechanism just described functions at any time or times that it is desired to change the pattern being produced in both tuck and horizontal striping. Only one cam |22 has been illustrated since it is commonly desirable to change pattern once in the knitting of hosiery. Of course, more changes are easily effected, that being merely a matter of choice and accomplished by suitable number and arrangement of cams |22 or corresponding cams.

In Fig. 13 we have shown diagrammatically cams which engage needle and jack butts, also pathways of those butts. It is to be understood that the machine herein described is also adapted to knit an elastic top wherein elastic yarn is incorporated alo..g with inelastic yarn in one of several ways, fri' example, as in United States Patent #2,131,120. Each of the needles will have a jack B1 beneath it, and as before explained, alternate needles have jacks with long butts 1|. During the knitting of an elastic top tucking is to be controlled by withdrawing a cam 8, projecting cam 12 into position to engage the butts 1| so that every other needle, or needles having jacks with long butts, whatever the arrangement may be, will be elevated to clear latches. The needles intermediate those will not be raised to clear latches but will take yarn and tuck until the stitch cam 8 is moved in so that all needles knit off. Of course, 'that stitch cam moves in on short butts and will raise the first long butt needles whereupon the cam is moved in to full extent to raise all needles for at least a course although knitting may continue for as many courses as desired before starting to tuck again.

In this Fig. 13 we have shown pathways of needle and jack butts during the knitting of an elastic top in which tucking is taking place. 'I'he butts 10 and 1| are leveled to a pathway |21 whereupon jacks with long butts 1| are to be selected by the topmost selecting plunger |28, that causing master butts 68 on those jacks to engage cam |29. Needles moving in pathway |30 over raise cam 3| are then controlled by jacks thus selected to rise in the pathway |32 whereupon they take the elastic yarn and are then drawn down with that elastic yarn by the elastic yarn drawing cam |33. Jacks may move downwardly to a low pathway |34 while needle butts are raised up by the central portion of a cam |35. Needles raise to a stitch taking level as their butts reach pathway |36, but that is not a clearing level. Those needles having jacks with long butts 1| are raised to a clearing level |31 since the cam 12 will lift the jacks having long butts 1| and of course the corresponding needles. Front stitch cam 8 is withdrawn at that time. Knitting or stitch drawing is controlled by rear stitch cam 9 after which the needles rise on raise cam |3| to the pathway |30. Jacks are moved down by cams and |3| to their lowermost position.

What is illustrated in the figure shows how elastic yarn is taken on spaced needles and how tucking may be controlled through jacks and cam 12 so long as -front stitch cam 8 is selectively operated to clear latches for4 knitting off or to be withdrawn whenever it is desired to accumulate stitches. The said cam 8 is of course withdrawn by the mechanism heretofore described including levers 52 and 55 and the linkage running up to the shaft or spindle 59 and lever and extension 6| and 62. Of course cam 12 is controlled by the lever 18, Fig. l. At that time the pattern studs or projections I6 in the second row are controlling, that being brought about by movement of levers 52 and 93 to the position of Fig. 5 under the influence of cam |22. Horizontal striping may be controlled at this time by lever 93 and continuing mechanism for governing the striper drum l| 0| such control being taken from the fourth row of projections on drum I2. Of course, if it is not desired to stripe the top but to make it plain and to stripe the leg of the/'stocking only, the pattern may be set up in such a way that the fourth row of projections will be left 011' in which event the striper may be maintained inactive.

Now if a pattern is to be knitted in the leg, it may be the same as that of the top or may be changed at will. If it is to be the same as in the top a simple construction might involve the use of long butts 1| on jacks 61 and cam 12 plus the control for front stitch cam 8. However, that would be an extremely simple pattern and the mechanism is, of course, capable of something much more comprehensive so that preferably, when going into the leg of the stocking, cam 12 will be withdrawn and the remaining pattern plungers |28 will, by means of pattern drum control1 become effective to act upon removable selective butts 69. Then any tuck pattern within the scope of the mechanism may be produced.

The determination of needles which are to knit and those which are to tuck will be governed by plungers |28 acting on the jacks and the tuck control drum I2 will still continue to move front stitch cam 8 for completing the tuck pattern, that is, for knitting off at desired courses in which a suicientnumber of tuck loops have been accumulated. At such time cam |22 may have allowed levers 52 and 93 to operate on rows three and ve on drum I2. That allows control of a tuck in the elastic top or in any other top or portion of a stocking to be changed upon entering the leg or other desired transition point. Now the fth row of projections will control striping in this second phase of the pattern and, of course, the fifth row may be the same as thefourth row if the stripe in the top and in the leg were to be identical or may be as different as desired, this latter advantage being employed in the knitting of most childrens wear in which a horizontal stripe of one type is usually knitted in the top while a second and different horizontal stripe pattern is carried out in the leg and foot. In such wear it is frequently desirable to knit a tuck pattern in the top in addition t such a pattern in the leg. Of course, the control of tucking in the top is not limited to the edge in which elastic is incorporated, but may continue throughout the entire top as for pattern effects.

The control of drum I2, as before stated, is by certain cams on drum 5| acting through lever 48 to move either one or both pawls as shown in Figs. 6 and 7. Cam |38, Fig. 1, is shown with the follower 50 of the lever 48 raised to greatest height. At that time the machine would be in the foot and both pawls would be ratcheting the drum. The bell crank lever having the cam surface 42 would be moved to the position of Fig. 2 at that time. When the toe of that lever drops from cam |38 to a lower cam portion |39, that occurring at the ring toe and toe, the

cam surface 42, Fig. 6, will lift pawl 22 from engagement with any of the ratchet teeth. That is for retiming and the drum will move around until pawl 23 arrives at the blank or space 44. Of course, the drum will then stop. After that the machine advances to the top of a stocking and the high cam |40 would encounter the follower 50 again allowing pawl 22 to drop to the ratchet wheel so that the pattern will continue.

Of course, the levers 52 and 93 will have been moved to the second and fourth rows of pro- Jections as in Fig. 5. v

Cam |40 controls throughout the knitting of the top, and in fact, if the top is what is known as a short top, for example, a top for anklets, the cam will be continuous around to and throughout knitting the leg or until the heel is reached. However, if a long top is to be knitted, there is time for retiming the drum preparatory to going into the leg in which event the follower 50 will drop from cam |40 to a low portion of the cam |4I for retiming as in Fig. 6, and thereafter, will be raised on a second high portion |42 for knitting the leg. Then, upon dropping from cam |42, lever |48 is moved to such an extent that both pawls will be withdrawn as in Fig. 7, that is, during knitting the heel; it can be seen that the drum I2 is stopped entirely 'throughout that function. Of course, at the start third and fth rows of projections or drum I2 become eiective.

The invention has been described relative to one preferred embodiment of the same as exemplied in the figures of drawing, but it is to be understood that many changes may be made without departing from the original inventive concept. The invention is defined in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. Pattern means for controlling tuck stitch and horizontal striping functions in a circular independent needle knitting machine including a pattern means periodically movable and having a plurality of rows of pattern conformations thereon, each said row controlling the production of an independent pattern, means for progressively moving said pattern means and conformations and for retiming the same at desired intervals, means for following and receiving patterm'ng impulses from the moving conformations on said pattern means movable to and from different rows of said conformations whereby both patterns may be changed at different points in the knitting.

2. Pattern control means for knitting machines adapted to control a plurality of functions in said machine simultaneously including a pattern drum, several rows of conformations projecting therefrom, levers having pattern followers in alignment with certain spaced rows of conformations and means for moving said levers from a position to be engaged and acted upon by spaced rows of conformations to a second position in which said plurality of levers are acted upon by different rows of conformations.

3. Pattern means for controlling a plurality of functions in a circular independent needle knitting machine including a pattern drum, ratcheting means for moving the same periodically and controlling means for preventing said ratcheting and for causing retiming of the drum, a plurality of rows of pattern conformations variably positioned on said drum, a plurality of levers with followers thereon engageable with rows of conformations and movable transversely of the drum so that a combined pattern may be knitted ernploying at least two of the rows of pattern conformations and thereafter, a continuing pattern may be controlled employing a different set of pattern conformations as desired.

4. Pattern means for controlling a plurality of functions in a circular independent needle knitting machine including a pattern drum, ratcheting means for moving the drum periodically, means including a cam surface for preventing ratcheting of the drum and for causing retiming of the same, pattern conformations arranged in a plurality of rows on the drum and followers for said rows of conformations mounted on levers movable transversely of the drum, said levers being engageable by a sliding connection with other levers which are in turn connected to control knitting functions on the said machine, means for moving said levers and their followers transversely of the drum including a second drum with a cam thereon and interconnecting means between said drum and cam and the said levers.

5. Pattern means for controlling a plurality of functions in a circular independent needle knitting machine including a pattern drum, rows of conformations on said drum divisible into sets ratcheting means for said drum including a ratcheting Wheel and a plurality of movable pawls engageable with teeth on said wheel, cam

means for removing either a single pawl or both pawls from engagement with teeth on the ratchet wheel and further means for controlling the said Ipawls to engage the ratchet teeth for single or double tooth moves, said last mentioned means being controllable from one' row of pattern conformations on the drum,- a plurality of levers with followers for said pattern conformations so arranged as to be moved transversely of the drum whereby the said followers engage one set of conformations including a plurality of rows, or a diierent set including a plurality of rows different from those in the first set, spring means for urging said levers and followers to one position to engage certain of the rows and cam means for moving them in the opposite direction to engage other rows.

6. Pattern means for controlling a plurality of functions in a circular independent needle knitting machine including a pattern drum, ratcheting means for said drum, separately controlled means for stopping the ratdheting of the drum or for varying it so as to retme the same, means for causing the said ratcheting means to impart either single tooth or double tooth movements to the drum, a plurality of levers and followers engageable with rows of spaced pattern conformations on the drum, said rows being divisible into sets, and cam means for varying the position of said levers and followers to change from one set of conformations to a different set, connecting means from said levers to cams which control the knitting functions of the machine including a separable connecting link and a stop mechanism whereby the pattern drum may be ratcheted and movements imparted to the levers and their followers without varying the knitting control at the knitting instrumentalities.

7. In Aa knitting machine the combination of knitting instrumentalities, cam means for causing said knitting instrumentalities to take yarn and to draw knitted stitches or to take yarn and accumulate loops in the knitting of tuck stitches, and means for changing the sequence of feeding yarns as for horizontal striping including a drum with cams thereon and means for advancing said drum, and a single pattern control means for determining the knitting of tuck stitches and governing the advance movements of the said drum for changing yarns during horizontal striping.

8. In a knitting machine the combination of knitting instrumentalities, cam means for controlling said knitting instrumentalities, to draw plain knitted loops and tuck stitch loops and yarn feed controlling means adapted to be changed so as to cause the feeding of different yarns as for horizontal striping, means for controlling said last mentioned means including a drum with cams thereon for effecting yarn change movements of the feeding means and means for periodically advancing said drum controlled by a pattern means having a plurality of pattern conformations some of which effect selective positioning of said means for controlling the tuck stitch knitting means and others of which govern the periodic movements of said drum for determining yarn change movements in the horizontal striping.

9. In a knitting machine the combination of knitting instrumentalities, cam means for causing said knitting instrumentalities to take yarn and to draw knitted stitches or to take yarn and accumulate loops in the knitting of tuck stitches, and means for changing the sequence of feeding yarns as for horizontal striping including a drum with cams thereon and means for advancing said drum, and a single pattern control means having several rows of pattern conformations projecting therefrom, pattern following means in alignment with certain spaced rows of formations and means for moving said means from a position to be engaged and acted upon by spaced rows of the conformations to a second position in which said plurality of levers are acted upon by different rows of conformations for determining the knitting of tuck stitches and governing the advance movements of the said drum for changing yarns during horizontal striping.

ALFRED L. HUTTON, JR. ISAAC H. C. GREEN. EUGENE ST. PIERRE. 

